One of the most anticipated golf competitions for men is held biannually, and this time around, the organizers chose to have it in Rome, the capital city of Italy.
From the 29th of September till the 1st of October, the Ryder Cup gave tourism in the city a significant boost, as informed by Italian government officials.
The competition was held between teams that came in from the United States and Europe, who came to Italy for the first time for the games.
The Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in the city hosted the event and managed to attract a substantial number of fans from these regions over a span of three days.
Bookings
Around 58% of the rooms available in various accommodations in the city were booked through online channels. This included those in the Lazio region especially.
On the 25th of September, the Tourism Ministry published the figures that accounted for more bookings than in any other location in Italy.
Moreover, this number of bookings was significantly higher than the monthly average recorded in the country, standing at 45.5%.
Daniela Santanche, the Tourism Minister of Italy, expressed joy at the surge in numbers, saying that major sporting events have always given tourism a boost.
In addition, booking statistics in Rome were even higher than those reported in the Southern Campania region, which was revealed in a different hotspot. These locations mainly included Chianti Hills, Florence, and Siena.
Surge in tourists
The increase in the number of passengers was welcomed by Roberto Gualtieri, the mayor of Rome, who laid emphasis on the importance of hosting large events in the city.
In the near future, the Italian government is also likely to play host to the Expo 2030 World Fair. As of now, it plans to have the event in the capital city.
There is no denying that the travel and tourism sector in Italy is experiencing a recovery after recording heavy losses during the pandemic.
This was revealed back in July by the World Travel and Tourism Council in its Economic Impact Research (EIR) for 2023.
The report also noted that the industry is likely to contribute no less than €194BN to the economy of Italy by the time the year comes to an end.
Economy
According to Julia Simpson, the CEO and President of WTTC, the travel and tourism industry is one of the biggest contributors to the economy of the country.
In her words, the strong recovery of the sector in Italy is indicative of prosperity and new jobs across the region.
She added that it is wonderful to see international tourists visiting the country once again, forecasting tourism to contribute as high as 12% to the GDP of Italy.
The figures presented by the Ministry of Tourism in the country also revealed that it is the second destination in the current year, which reported 39% of its accommodation facilities being booked through online platforms.
According to the data, the travel and tourism sector contributed no less than €190BN to the GDP of Italy in the previous year.
